[E3 2012] Sony's Pre-E3 Press Conference Wrap Up
Aside from some slow sections, Sony dazzles with strong exclusive titles.
Published: June 4, 2012
It was only a few short years ago that I personally felt Sony was making all the wrong moves and had all the wrong ideas about what gamers truly wanted. I've never considered myself a “champion” of one platform or another, but had you confused me for a Sony hater, I certainly wouldn't have held it against you. Which is why I find it so improbable, and invigorating that after seeing all of the big three's press conferences, Sony's left me feeling more optimistic and more excited to be a gamer than I can remember feeling in some time.
Every press conference tries to open with a bang of course, but in my opinion the nature of that “bang” says a lot about what the publisher thinks of its audience. If that's at all true, then Sony sees gamers as sophisticated adults who seek emotionally engaging content just as often as they seek blockbuster style thrills. That's the only reason I can think of that they would choose Quantic Dream's Beyond: Two Souls to lead the charge yesterday afternoon at their pre-E3 presentation. In doing so, Sony treated me and the thousands of other members of the industry in attendance like the engaged enthusiasts we are, rather than the chest thumping, blood crazed lunatics some other publishers presume us to be. Even if Beyond had fallen flat, I would be applauding the decision to show it first.
Of course, it didn't fall flat at all. On the contrary, Quantic Dream's follow up to Heavy Rain soared, showing a great aptitude for filmcraft while simultaneously delivering a level of action and excitement that their previous titles have been criticized for lacking. Beyond is the story of a young woman named Jodi Holmes, whose life is linked with a supernatural force that is both sentient and potentially destructive.
The clip we were shown of Jodi being questioned by a cop was thick with emotional tension, as she sat wordlessly emoting, frozen with fear. Despite there being more silence than words between the two, it was incredibly intense, thanks to both the excellent cinematography and the nuanced performances of the two actors. In a bold move, Quantic Dream secured well know actress Ellen Page to play Jodi, a choice that is already clearly paying dividends. In the trailer following the clip, we see a wide range of emotion from Page's Jodi, and all of it convincing. From the quiet subtleties of the interrogation scene, to her menacing threat to a SWAT team leader after laying waste to his entire squad, Page nails every note. If it were a movie trailer, I'd be lining up at the theater at midnight. Look forward to more impressions of Beyond before E3 wraps.
Not every game needs to try to establish itself as a piece of art however, so the shifting of gears to the recently announced Playstation All Stars: Battle Royale was a welcome move following the gravitas of Beyond. I was here in LA a month ago when Sony first unveiled it, and it's still looking like a total blast to play. After doing a 4 player match live on stage, Nathan Drake and Bioshock's Big Daddy were officially revealed as playable characters after weeks of internet speculation regarding them. Even more exciting than that however was the announcement that Playstation All Stars would be coming to the Vita as well and would support cross platform play with the PS3 version.
While it was great to see that an anticipated PS3 game with such mass market potential would be getting a Vita treatment, it wasn't enough to stave off a general feeling of gloom about the powerful handheld's future. To say it has struggled would be generous, despite what I thought was an excellent launch lineup. I really wanted to see Sony convince the doomsayers that the Vita has brighter times awaiting just over the horizon, but it just didn't happen.
Besides the announcement of Playstation Classics coming to the system and a port of All Stars, the only significant bit of news was the development of a Vita exclusive Assassin's Creed 3 spinoff entitled Assassin's Creed 3: Liberation. Set in New Orleans in the 18th century and featuring a series first female lead, the game looked promising in the brief sizzle reel we saw, but it wasn't really enough to get people's blood pumping. Being built from the ground up as a Vita exclusive, it will no doubt look impressive but the system needs more than one high profile title to convince people of its bright future. Sadly, after a brief announcement of a new “crystal white” colored unit to debut with a new Assassin's Creed bundle, the focus quickly shifted back to the home market with a look at that other Assassin's Creed 3.
And what a look! I feel as if we've all been re-watching the same, admittedly impressive footage of Chinese rope dart hangings and bear battles for a while now so when Ubisoft took the stage to show several minutes of player controlled naval battles, my mouth lay agape. I'm still not sure about how it will integrate with the rest of the gameplay, but steering a revolution era corsair into pitched cannon duels on the high seas looks exhilarating and I can't wait to spin the wheel myself. While initially, it may seem to be counter to what the Assassin's Creed franchise is about, I can't help but be reminded of how people felt when Metal Gear Solid 3 shed the high tech gadgetry and labyrinthine hallways for survivalist tactics and and using camouflage to hide in plain sight. While many worried that it wouldn't “feel” like Metal Gear it ended becoming nearly universally acknowledged as the best entry in the storied series. With 4 core entries in almost as many years, a little redefining might be just what Assassin's Creed needs.
Ubi didn't stop there though. They followed their naval battle reveal with a live demonstration of 4 player co op in Far Cry 3. Sadly, though the single player looks promising, the co op didn't seem to be much more than shooting stuff while your friends shoot other stuff. Despite the team members chattering constantly with each other, it was clear they could have done just as well without saying a word, as no part of the mission being played seemed to require any true cooperation. While it wasn't poor looking by any means, after the supernaturally endowed Ellen Page and Assassins of the Caribbean, it fell a bit flat.
The same could be said of the following section of the presentation, where Sony's Jack Tretton proceeded to the now seemingly required motion gaming/entertainment services section of the press conference. I get that companies want to keep things like Playstation+ and Move in the minds of the gaming press, but E3 always seems like the worst time to do it. I don't know a single person who would prefer to hear about the re-branding of the Playstation Suite to Playstation Mobile instead of having 10 more minutes of new game footage.
The biggest offender this year was the Wonderbook, a physical book with pages designed to be focus points for augmented reality applications. The idea is to offer interactive reading experiences for children – a noble endeavor for sure, but one that ate up an astonishing amount of time and ultimately failed to impress. Even the support of Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling couldn't rescue it from its confusing implementation and inconsistent gesture recognition. Still, I give credit to Sony for exploring new experiences for players. It also gave me time to check my Twitter feed, so...there is that.
Thankfully , Sony Santa Monica swooped in to the rescue with the first ever showing of single player footage for God of War: Ascension. Blood splattered and entrails spilled much as one would expect from the The Ghost of Sparta. While watching Kratos ventilate fools in gruesome fashion remains as visually pleasing as ever, aside from a couple of new abilities, there wasn't much to differentiate Ascension from its predecessor. Of course that did nothing to prevent attendees from cheering with delight at each brutal evisceration of mythologically inspired goons. With the stadium style seating in the cavernous LA Memorial Sports Arena, I couldn't help but imagine if this was anything like a day at the Coliseum in Rome. Something about this franchise causes people to get swept away with primal, violent joy. It's a catharsis that the series has never personally provided for me, and yet it's clear that players remain enthusiastic for it. Ascension appears to be no different in this regard, whipping the throngs of industry goers into an excited frenzy within moments of taking the screen.
While Ascension wouldn't have made a bad climax, Sony had one more ace up its sleeve. Without explanation or introduction, all the lights and screens went dark and the speakers silent but for the sounds of nature. Suddenly, chaos erupts and the titantron lights up on a shot of Joel and Ellie, the seemingly already famous protagonists of Naughty Dog's upcoming survival/action epic The Last of Us. What ensues is 7 minutes of frantic, gut wrenching brilliance that had everyone talking afterwards. Comparisons to Uncharted aren't completely unwarranted, but they can hardly be considered accurate either. Where the violence that Nathan Drake visits upon his foes seems fun and exciting, the combat in The Last of Us feels dire, breathless and urgent. This is made all the more impactful by the constant juxtaposition of savagery and serenity. We'll be getting closer look at this gem before the show's end so look forward to more details soon.
Despite some slow points in the middle and a slightly alarming lack of significant Vita news, I left the Sony press conference with goosebumps. In an industry that has become crazed with gimmicks, services and social media trends, Sony put on the only show that I was able to get through without feeling an impending sense of doom, the kind you get when you start to feel like the market has left you and your kind stranded on the side of the road. I've felt that sensation in ever escalating doses these past few years, as talking heads and CEO's tell me what they think the future is and what I should be getting excited about. Sony proved once again this year that all you really need to do to get gamers excited is put quality new games in front of them, something the rest of the industry would do well to remember.
Every press conference tries to open with a bang of course, but in my opinion the nature of that “bang” says a lot about what the publisher thinks of its audience. If that's at all true, then Sony sees gamers as sophisticated adults who seek emotionally engaging content just as often as they seek blockbuster style thrills. That's the only reason I can think of that they would choose Quantic Dream's Beyond: Two Souls to lead the charge yesterday afternoon at their pre-E3 presentation. In doing so, Sony treated me and the thousands of other members of the industry in attendance like the engaged enthusiasts we are, rather than the chest thumping, blood crazed lunatics some other publishers presume us to be. Even if Beyond had fallen flat, I would be applauding the decision to show it first.
Of course, it didn't fall flat at all. On the contrary, Quantic Dream's follow up to Heavy Rain soared, showing a great aptitude for filmcraft while simultaneously delivering a level of action and excitement that their previous titles have been criticized for lacking. Beyond is the story of a young woman named Jodi Holmes, whose life is linked with a supernatural force that is both sentient and potentially destructive.
The clip we were shown of Jodi being questioned by a cop was thick with emotional tension, as she sat wordlessly emoting, frozen with fear. Despite there being more silence than words between the two, it was incredibly intense, thanks to both the excellent cinematography and the nuanced performances of the two actors. In a bold move, Quantic Dream secured well know actress Ellen Page to play Jodi, a choice that is already clearly paying dividends. In the trailer following the clip, we see a wide range of emotion from Page's Jodi, and all of it convincing. From the quiet subtleties of the interrogation scene, to her menacing threat to a SWAT team leader after laying waste to his entire squad, Page nails every note. If it were a movie trailer, I'd be lining up at the theater at midnight. Look forward to more impressions of Beyond before E3 wraps.
Not every game needs to try to establish itself as a piece of art however, so the shifting of gears to the recently announced Playstation All Stars: Battle Royale was a welcome move following the gravitas of Beyond. I was here in LA a month ago when Sony first unveiled it, and it's still looking like a total blast to play. After doing a 4 player match live on stage, Nathan Drake and Bioshock's Big Daddy were officially revealed as playable characters after weeks of internet speculation regarding them. Even more exciting than that however was the announcement that Playstation All Stars would be coming to the Vita as well and would support cross platform play with the PS3 version.
While it was great to see that an anticipated PS3 game with such mass market potential would be getting a Vita treatment, it wasn't enough to stave off a general feeling of gloom about the powerful handheld's future. To say it has struggled would be generous, despite what I thought was an excellent launch lineup. I really wanted to see Sony convince the doomsayers that the Vita has brighter times awaiting just over the horizon, but it just didn't happen.
Besides the announcement of Playstation Classics coming to the system and a port of All Stars, the only significant bit of news was the development of a Vita exclusive Assassin's Creed 3 spinoff entitled Assassin's Creed 3: Liberation. Set in New Orleans in the 18th century and featuring a series first female lead, the game looked promising in the brief sizzle reel we saw, but it wasn't really enough to get people's blood pumping. Being built from the ground up as a Vita exclusive, it will no doubt look impressive but the system needs more than one high profile title to convince people of its bright future. Sadly, after a brief announcement of a new “crystal white” colored unit to debut with a new Assassin's Creed bundle, the focus quickly shifted back to the home market with a look at that other Assassin's Creed 3.
And what a look! I feel as if we've all been re-watching the same, admittedly impressive footage of Chinese rope dart hangings and bear battles for a while now so when Ubisoft took the stage to show several minutes of player controlled naval battles, my mouth lay agape. I'm still not sure about how it will integrate with the rest of the gameplay, but steering a revolution era corsair into pitched cannon duels on the high seas looks exhilarating and I can't wait to spin the wheel myself. While initially, it may seem to be counter to what the Assassin's Creed franchise is about, I can't help but be reminded of how people felt when Metal Gear Solid 3 shed the high tech gadgetry and labyrinthine hallways for survivalist tactics and and using camouflage to hide in plain sight. While many worried that it wouldn't “feel” like Metal Gear it ended becoming nearly universally acknowledged as the best entry in the storied series. With 4 core entries in almost as many years, a little redefining might be just what Assassin's Creed needs.
Ubi didn't stop there though. They followed their naval battle reveal with a live demonstration of 4 player co op in Far Cry 3. Sadly, though the single player looks promising, the co op didn't seem to be much more than shooting stuff while your friends shoot other stuff. Despite the team members chattering constantly with each other, it was clear they could have done just as well without saying a word, as no part of the mission being played seemed to require any true cooperation. While it wasn't poor looking by any means, after the supernaturally endowed Ellen Page and Assassins of the Caribbean, it fell a bit flat.
The same could be said of the following section of the presentation, where Sony's Jack Tretton proceeded to the now seemingly required motion gaming/entertainment services section of the press conference. I get that companies want to keep things like Playstation+ and Move in the minds of the gaming press, but E3 always seems like the worst time to do it. I don't know a single person who would prefer to hear about the re-branding of the Playstation Suite to Playstation Mobile instead of having 10 more minutes of new game footage.
The biggest offender this year was the Wonderbook, a physical book with pages designed to be focus points for augmented reality applications. The idea is to offer interactive reading experiences for children – a noble endeavor for sure, but one that ate up an astonishing amount of time and ultimately failed to impress. Even the support of Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling couldn't rescue it from its confusing implementation and inconsistent gesture recognition. Still, I give credit to Sony for exploring new experiences for players. It also gave me time to check my Twitter feed, so...there is that.
Thankfully , Sony Santa Monica swooped in to the rescue with the first ever showing of single player footage for God of War: Ascension. Blood splattered and entrails spilled much as one would expect from the The Ghost of Sparta. While watching Kratos ventilate fools in gruesome fashion remains as visually pleasing as ever, aside from a couple of new abilities, there wasn't much to differentiate Ascension from its predecessor. Of course that did nothing to prevent attendees from cheering with delight at each brutal evisceration of mythologically inspired goons. With the stadium style seating in the cavernous LA Memorial Sports Arena, I couldn't help but imagine if this was anything like a day at the Coliseum in Rome. Something about this franchise causes people to get swept away with primal, violent joy. It's a catharsis that the series has never personally provided for me, and yet it's clear that players remain enthusiastic for it. Ascension appears to be no different in this regard, whipping the throngs of industry goers into an excited frenzy within moments of taking the screen.
While Ascension wouldn't have made a bad climax, Sony had one more ace up its sleeve. Without explanation or introduction, all the lights and screens went dark and the speakers silent but for the sounds of nature. Suddenly, chaos erupts and the titantron lights up on a shot of Joel and Ellie, the seemingly already famous protagonists of Naughty Dog's upcoming survival/action epic The Last of Us. What ensues is 7 minutes of frantic, gut wrenching brilliance that had everyone talking afterwards. Comparisons to Uncharted aren't completely unwarranted, but they can hardly be considered accurate either. Where the violence that Nathan Drake visits upon his foes seems fun and exciting, the combat in The Last of Us feels dire, breathless and urgent. This is made all the more impactful by the constant juxtaposition of savagery and serenity. We'll be getting closer look at this gem before the show's end so look forward to more details soon.
Despite some slow points in the middle and a slightly alarming lack of significant Vita news, I left the Sony press conference with goosebumps. In an industry that has become crazed with gimmicks, services and social media trends, Sony put on the only show that I was able to get through without feeling an impending sense of doom, the kind you get when you start to feel like the market has left you and your kind stranded on the side of the road. I've felt that sensation in ever escalating doses these past few years, as talking heads and CEO's tell me what they think the future is and what I should be getting excited about. Sony proved once again this year that all you really need to do to get gamers excited is put quality new games in front of them, something the rest of the industry would do well to remember.
